Conduit connector and methods for making and using the same
a technology of connectors and connectors, applied in the field of connectors, can solve the problems of increasing the cost of installing electrical systems, increasing the cost of electrical systems, and high installation costs of locknut connectors
Active Publication Date: 2014-08-12
SIGMA ELECTRIC MFG
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- Summary
- Abstract
- Description
- Claims
- Application Information
AI Technical Summary
Benefits of technology
The conduit connector described herein is designed to securely connect conduits in a simple and effective way. It consists of a hollow body with a spring inside it and an antishort bush at the end. The spring has engagement tangs that fit into grooves on the conduit and spring tangs that fit into an opening in a junction box. This design ensures a secure and tight connection between the conduit and the junction box, preventing leaks and other issues that can occur with older methods.
Problems solved by technology
The installation of electrical systems is generally expensive as an electrician must first install the enclosures, route conduit between each enclosure, and install connectors and then pull all necessary electrical wiring through the conduit.
In other words, installation is expensive because it is labor intensive.
Locknut connectors increase the cost of installing electrical systems for a number of reasons.
The current art two-part locknut connectors are plagued with labor intensive problems.
Consequently, it is difficult to hold a tool or a piece of conduit while reassembling the connector.
These situations, while rare, raise serious safety issues.
Those persons skilled in the art know that finger tightened two-part locknut connectors can eventually loosen, and a loose connector can cause great strain to be put onto the electrical wires and their connections resulting in an increase in the probability of an electrical fire or other electrical problems, such as poor grounding.
Secondly, when the electrician disassembles the fitting by taking the locknut off the connector, the locknut can be dropped or misplaced.
If the locknut cannot be found, the connector is useless.
A third common problem with the present locknut connectors is the locknut is easily cross threaded onto the male thread.
On occasion, cross threading the locknut will damage the male threads on the connector making it difficult or impossible to reuse the connector.
A fourth problem with the present two-part locknut connectors is the distance the male end protrudes into the junction box.
The space limitation becomes an acute problem when an additional connector is installed.
The male threaded end protrudes well past the depth of the locknut and may interfere with another connector, the contents of the enclosure, or wiring inside the box.
Typically, the electrician may clip off some of the receptacle or mounting screws, or completes a combination of space enlarging modifications, all of which prolong installation time and threaten the integrity of the system as designed.
A fifth common problem with the present two-part locknut connectors occurs during disassembly of the connector from the enclosure.
The disassembly of the locknut connector is more time consuming than the installation.
Similar to the installation, if the threads are damaged during disassembly, the connector is useless.
Also similar to the installation problems, if the locknut is lost, it must be replaced if the connector is to be used again.
The snap-in connector presents similar problems.
However, the most significant problem is that these connectors, in most cases, do not create a rigid connection.
The loose fit may cause electrical continuity problems, a highly dangerous situation, since the box, the conduit, and the connector are intended to be part of the electrical grounding system in some applications.
Method used
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[0036]Disclosed herein are conduit connectors capable of connecting to an enclosure, e.g., capable of connecting an electrical conduit to a junction box. The conduit connector comprises a body, a spring, and an antishort bush. The spring inserts into the body and can be held in place with the antishort bush and / or due to connection(s) with the body. During use, tangs of the spring extend into and hold the connector to a junction box, while flanges extending from the spring engage and retain a conduit in side the body.
[0037]The conduit connector answers a long felt need for an electrical connector which can be installed quickly and easily without tools and does not require access to the interior of a junction box. The electrical connector has utility, among other uses, in the connection of a conduit to an enclosure (e.g., to an electrical junction box) through an opening in the side of the box commonly referred to as a knockout. Additionally, although this connector securely engages ...
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In one embodiment, the conduit connector can comprise: a body comprising a hollow center capable of receiving a conduit in a receiving end, wherein the hollow center extends from the receiving end to the connecting end; a spring disposed within the hollow center and extending out of the connecting end, wherein the spring comprises engagement tangs extending into the hollow center, toward the connection end, and spring tangs extending past the connection end and spaced apart a distance greater than or equal to an opening diameter in a junction box; and an antishort bush located in the connecting end of the body, retaining the spring in the body.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61 / 448,872, filed on Mar. 3, 2011, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.TECHNICAL FIELD[0002]The instant application relates to adapters for connecting conduits to enclosures, e.g., conduit connectors for connecting electrical conduit to junction boxes, outlet boxes, or other enclosures.BACKGROUND[0003]The most common use for electrical conduit connectors is to facilitate the connection of a conduit or cable to a junction box. The junction box can be a variety of electrical enclosures such as an outlet box, transformer enclosure, circuit panel, lighting fixture—the list is nearly endless. Similarly, the conduit can be rigid or flexible, or could be hose, other tubing capable of routing electrical wire, or cable. Cable can be non-metallic sheathed cable, portable cord, or a variety of other types of electrical conductors. The instant appl...
Claims
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IPC IPC(8): H02G3/04H01R13/74H02G3/06H02G3/18
CPCH02G3/0616H02G3/0691H01R13/74H02G3/18
InventorCHAVAN, VINAYAK MANOHARKHODAPE, YUVRAJ TOTARAMSATHANARAYANA, ASHOK ALILUGHATTA
OwnerSIGMA ELECTRIC MFG